I know that for anyone with ADHD, stimulants such as caffeine can have a calming effect. A doctor explained it to me, as she acknowledged it seemed counterintuitive to give people with hyperactivity stimulants, but it has been shown to work.

My middle son is far more focused when he's had caffeine than when he's not, and as he doesn't like the effects that ADHD meds have on him, we let him have caffeine instead.

ADHD is cause by the a part of the brain being understimuated. Increase activity in that part of the brain and the person can focus instead of being distracted by random thoughts and shiny objects.

I know that for anyone with ADHD, stimulants such as caffeine can have a calming effect. A doctor explained it to me, as she acknowledged it seemed counterintuitive to give people with hyperactivity stimulants, but it has been shown to work.

My middle son is far more focused when he's had caffeine than when he's not, and as he doesn't like the effects that ADHD meds have on him, we let him have caffeine instead.

ADHD is cause by the a part of the brain being understimuated. Increase activity in that part of the brain and the person can focus instead of being distracted by random thoughts and shiny objects.

Thank you, that's worded much better, and how it was explained to me.

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Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here. Be cheerful, strive to be happy. -Desiderata

I know that for anyone with ADHD, stimulants such as caffeine can have a calming effect. A doctor explained it to me, as she acknowledged it seemed counterintuitive to give people with hyperactivity stimulants, but it has been shown to work.

My middle son is far more focused when he's had caffeine than when he's not, and as he doesn't like the effects that ADHD meds have on him, we let him have caffeine instead.

And that would be one of the reasons why, when I gave up caffeine years ago, I didn't have a single decent un-medicated night's sleep for 4 years. Seriously. My brain would Not Shut Up.

Then I was diagnosed with ADHD and given a small dose of stimulants. HOLY COW! I could sleep!

I want to give up soda because it's bad for my teeth, but I don't like coffee, and you can have my caffeine when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

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What part of v_e = \sqrt{\frac{2GM}{r}} don't you understand? It's only rocket science!

"The problem with re-examining your brilliant ideas is that more often than not, you discover they are the intellectual equivalent of saying, 'Hold my beer and watch this!'" - Cindy Couture

Now I'm curious, I've cut back on caffeine due to my pregnancy and have had huge trouble ficusing on school (I am unmedicated ADHD) and have had insomnia for only the second time in my life--the first being during my previous pregnancy. Must mention it to my doctor.

One of my former girlfriends would only eat certain foods. This in itself wasn't bad, but the other part of it was she didn't want any foods she didn't like to be in the house. At a restaurant she would look at your food and make gagging noises if it wasn't on her acceptable list.

One of my former girlfriends would only eat certain foods. This in itself wasn't bad, but the other part of it was she didn't want any foods she didn't like to be in the house. At a restaurant she would look at your food and make gagging noises if it wasn't on her acceptable list.

That's just obnoxious. Most kids know not to make gagging noises by the time they're out of elementary school.

I know that for anyone with ADHD, stimulants such as caffeine can have a calming effect. A doctor explained it to me, as she acknowledged it seemed counterintuitive to give people with hyperactivity stimulants, but it has been shown to work.

My middle son is far more focused when he's had caffeine than when he's not, and as he doesn't like the effects that ADHD meds have on him, we let him have caffeine instead.

And that would be one of the reasons why, when I gave up caffeine years ago, I didn't have a single decent un-medicated night's sleep for 4 years. Seriously. My brain would Not Shut Up.

Then I was diagnosed with ADHD and given a small dose of stimulants. HOLY COW! I could sleep!

I want to give up soda because it's bad for my teeth, but I don't like coffee, and you can have my caffeine when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Here you go!

Logged

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here. Be cheerful, strive to be happy. -Desiderata

I know that for anyone with ADHD, stimulants such as caffeine can have a calming effect. A doctor explained it to me, as she acknowledged it seemed counterintuitive to give people with hyperactivity stimulants, but it has been shown to work.

My middle son is far more focused when he's had caffeine than when he's not, and as he doesn't like the effects that ADHD meds have on him, we let him have caffeine instead.

And that would be one of the reasons why, when I gave up caffeine years ago, I didn't have a single decent un-medicated night's sleep for 4 years. Seriously. My brain would Not Shut Up.

Then I was diagnosed with ADHD and given a small dose of stimulants. HOLY COW! I could sleep!

I want to give up soda because it's bad for my teeth, but I don't like coffee, and you can have my caffeine when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

I know that for anyone with ADHD, stimulants such as caffeine can have a calming effect. A doctor explained it to me, as she acknowledged it seemed counterintuitive to give people with hyperactivity stimulants, but it has been shown to work.

My middle son is far more focused when he's had caffeine than when he's not, and as he doesn't like the effects that ADHD meds have on him, we let him have caffeine instead.

And that would be one of the reasons why, when I gave up caffeine years ago, I didn't have a single decent un-medicated night's sleep for 4 years. Seriously. My brain would Not Shut Up.

Then I was diagnosed with ADHD and given a small dose of stimulants. HOLY COW! I could sleep!

I want to give up soda because it's bad for my teeth, but I don't like coffee, and you can have my caffeine when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Here you go!

What if I throw my hip out doing the Macarena? Or look really, really stupid....wait, everyone looks odd doing the Macarena.....must study Macarena dancers to see why they do it, like Jane Goodall in the jungle with the chimps, Tarzan had a Jane and chimp in the jungle......and on & on & on.....

Yeah - this is such familiar mental territory. Rather like Tarzan in a jungle.....wonder if doing the Macarena in a loin cloth would be extra embarressing? (edited to correct "Spell Check" because it added space in the middle of a word)

I don't know if it's psychosomatic or not, but I find that how much caffeine I'm ingesting on a regular basis affects how much caffeine affects me. When I was in high school and college, I used to drink iced tea as my regular drink (caffeinated, although tea doesn't have a lot in it). I would also drink some amount of Coke, which has more than tea but nowhere near coffee. Because I was regularly drinking a low amount of caffeine, my body was used to it. I could have a Coke or iced tea late at night, no problem.

Later I switched to decaf tea (which still has caffeine but it's *really* minimal), and for a while I wasn't drinking any soda. So I was having almost no caffeine on a regular basis. I then found that when I did have a Coke, I could really feel the effect. Suddenly soda would keep me up at night when it never had before.

Now I've been drinking Coke a lot more, and my system seems to be somewhat confused. I have noticed that if I drink a Coke and then try to take a nap soon afterwards, I sometimes find that I doze lightly but I never seem to fall asleep, and I just keep thinking about things. I don't feel like my heart is racing or like I'm all hyped up, I just don't seem to be able to drop all the way off to sleep.

On the subject of food dictators, my husband isn't as picky an eater as I am, but he's generally a less healthy one. He has the tendency to binge on a food... eating an entire bag of M&Ms, things like that. I'll eat plenty of sweets, but generally a lot more moderately. But he'll also go through periods when he tries to eat really healthy. And instead of just, say, not eating a ton of candy or whatever, he'll start eating some sort of spinach-and-egg omelet and pea soup and asking me to buy kale and stuff like that. And then he really wants me to eat this sort of thing with him, and I feel bad for not doing it too and discouraging him. But... I don't like spinach. Or kale. Or runny eggs. Or any of the other stuff recommended through this exercise program or whatever it is. I might try to eat the same foods that I normally eat, but maybe try to eat a little less junk and a little more good stuff, but that's about the only change I'm willing to make. And then the health kick he's on doesn't last and he's back to regular diet, and I'm never quite sure if it's my fault for not being more supportive or if it was pointless for me to join in because he would have dropped it anyway. Oy. He's not really being a food dictator as he isn't trying to force me or make me feel guilty, but it's just sort of frustrating.

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Emily is 10 years old! 1/07Jenny is 8 years old! 10/08Charlotte is 7 years old! 8/10Megan is 4 years old! 10/12Lydia is 2 years old! 12/14Baby Charlie expected 9/17